"Fair use" is a term that is often linked with "public domain," but they are not the same. Public domain materials may be used freely. Fair use refers to the practice of using materials that may be under copyright, but which have been transformed through some way. Stanford's library explains the two major fair use practices as commentary or criticism of a work, or parody of a work. Copyrighted materials may also be used in art as reference, reframing, or some process that renders the work identifiable, but significantly transformed.
Here are a few short resources to further clarify the concept:
Resources that are in the public domain are free to use. Be sure to confirm that resources have no restrictions before using them, such as copyright or limits to how a resource may be used.
Understanding copyright and fair use is an important part of teaching, research and creative work.
Many images are under copyright, meaning that the creator holds the legal right for how their work is used. In general, always cite images that you use.
The following define responsibilities and provide copyright guidance:
For more information, contact Michael Spalti, mspalti@willamette.edu
For more information, contact Michael Spalti, mspalti@willamette.edu
Check the publication date of any work you want to use; some work is in the public domain because of its age. Other works are in the public domain because their authors never copyrighted the work or released the work. Check this chart if you have questions about copyright.